Table of Contents
When should spirea be cut back?
spring
The best time to prune spirea is after the first flowering. For a spring-blooming cultivar, a good time will be in late spring. For a summer-blooming variety, this will be in mid-summer.
Can spirea be cut all the way back?
More drastically cutting back spirea should occur in the fall or in late winter to early spring. Remove any dead branches and use this trimming to shape the shrub. Cutting it way back will stimulate new growth in tighter clusters so that you can get a more rounded, compact shrub shape.
How far back can you trim a spirea bush?
In the spring, after the first blooms are spent, cut the dead flowers back by trimming spirea’s stem tips back to the topmost leaf on each stem. Throughout the summer, the plants shape can be maintained by cutting back overgrown spirea shoots or stems as well as any dead or diseased branches.
Should I cut my spirea to the ground?
To control the spirea’s size and keep it blooming year after year, you should prune it back after blooming or when it’s dormant in winter. If it’s severely overgrown, cut it to the ground to rejuvenate the shrub.
How do you take care of a spirea bush?
Growing Tips
- Spirea are tolerant of some shade, but full sun produces more flowers with more vibrant colors and brighter fall color.
- Ensure your shrubs are spaced properly with adequate room to grow to maturity.
- Avoid overfertilizing.
- Deadhead flowers after blooming to tidy up plants and encourage reblooming.
Does spirea bloom on old wood?
Bud Development Spring-bloom spirea produce buds the year before they bloom, which means they blossom on old growth. These buds begin to set the autumn before they open. Meanwhile, summer-blooming types blossom on new growth, since they develop buds in the spring just a season before they open.
Should spirea fertilize?
Established Spirea will grow best when a light fertilizer is used. A slow release type will feed your shrub the entire growing season. A balanced granular fertilizer, (10-10-10 or organic fertilizer) is recommended.
Why are my spirea dying?
Too much water can cause leaves to turn yellow or entire stems to die, which may give you a false signal your plant needs more water. If you dig gently down to the root zone, you may discover your spirea’s need for better drainage, rather than more water.
Can I prune spirea with hedge trimmer?
Prune spirea to get big flower clusters In early spring, before the leaf buds start to swell, cut all of the stems down so they’re 4 to 6 in. tall. You can use pruning shears and cut one at a time or hedge clippers and simply cut them all off at once — it makes no difference.
How do you revive a dying spirea plant?
Spirea bushes require part sun or shade. The soil condition must have good drainage and a pH of 6.0 to 6.5. Bushes need one application of slow-release granular fertilizer in spring. Use at least 2 inches of mulch around the base of the bush to help retain moisture.
How do you take care of a spirea plant?
Keep newly planted spireas well-watered until they become established. Mature spireas are drought tolerant and only need watering when the soil becomes dry. Spireas don’t like wet feet, so avoid oversaturating the soil.
How do you prune an overgrown Spirea?
Spirea shrubs respond well to pruning. In the spring, after the first blooms are spent, cut the dead flowers back by trimming spirea’s stem tips back to the topmost leaf on each stem. Throughout the summer, the plants shape can be maintained by cutting back overgrown spirea shoots or stems as well as any dead or diseased branches.
When to prune Anthony Waterer Spirea?
Perform rejuvenation pruning on a summer-blooming spirea like Anthony Waterer in late winter or early spring while the plant is still dormant. Rejuvenation becomes necessary when the shrub has grown out of bounds or has many old and tangled stems that have become woody.
How do you prune an Anthony Waterer?
Reaching only 3 to 5 feet high and wide, Anthony Waterer requires little pruning to maintain its form beyond a quick tidying of the plant in early spring. Every few years, however, it may benefit from a more severe pruning called rejuvenation. Perform this type of pruning only in late winter or early spring, otherwise you risk killing the plant.
What does Anthony Waterer Spirea look like?
Spiraea japonica ‘Anthony Waterer’ (Japanese Spirea) is a compact, broadly mounded, deciduous shrub with delicate, willowy, reddish-purple leaves in spring, maturing to blue-green as summer progresses. The foliage turns vibrant shades of yellow and reddish-purple in the fall.